1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups onion, finely chopped
2 cups fennel bulbs, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, slightly crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces lean ground pork
¼ cup dry white wine
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
(1) 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
8 ounces rigatoni, preferably whole grain

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Heat a large non nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in olive oil and add onion, fennel and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes, until onion is translucent.

Add fennel seeds, oregano, pepper flakes, a pinch of salt and pepper, and pork to pan with onions and fennel. Stir to combine and brown pork for 3-4 minutes, chopping it up with the edge of a stiff spatula. Pour in wine and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan while wine evaporates.

Add tomato and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes (or more if you have time), stirring occasionally. While sauce is simmering, boil pasta, drain and return to pot. Scrape sauce into pot with pasta and toss to coat well.

Serves 4

1 cup wheat berries (soaked overnight and drained)
3 cups water
sea salt
1 large (2 pound) acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeds scooped out
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
nonstick cooking spray
freshly ground black pepper
6 cups green leaf lettuce, cleaned and dried
¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Go-To Vinaigrette
¼ cup pecans, toasted
1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled
¼ cup dried cranberries

Combine wheat berries and water with a pinch of salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until tender. Drain off any excess water and set aside.

While wheat berries are cooking, preheat oven to 400. Place squash halves flesh side down in a microwave safe dish and cover with a paper towel. Microwave on high for 12 minutes (if your microwave doesn’t have a rotating dish, rotate the plate every 2 minutes). Remove squash (be careful of steam) to a cutting board and let cool flesh side up until cool enough to handle (1-2 minutes). Carefully cut into 1/2-inch wedges and peel off skin. Microwave the butter and syrup in a bowl for 30 seconds and stir to mix.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Lay the squash wedges down, brush with maple glaze and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip and repeat on the other side. Bake for 5 minutes. Carefully flip wedges over and bake another 5-6 minutes.

While squash is cooking, mix together lettuce, scallions and drained wheat berries and toss with vinaigrette. Divide evenly onto four plates. Top with squash wedges, pecans, crumbled blue cheese, cranberries and a twist of freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 thick slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 links italian sausage, cut diagonally into 4 pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
¼ cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken, vegetable or turkey stock
14-ounce can tomato puree
4 cups leftover turkey, duck or dark-meat chicken, shredded
(2) 15-ounce cans white beans, drained
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
2 cups course bread crumbs
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven and saute bacon and onion over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, until bacon is semi-crisp and onion is browned. Add sausages and 1/2 of the garlic and saute for 4 minutes, until slightly browned.

Add wine and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add stock, tomato puree, turkey, beans, bay leaf and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Bake in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes, adding additional stock  if necessary to keep moist.

Mix bread crumbs with remaining garlic, minced parsley, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Toss with melted butter until moistened evenly and sprinkle on top of cassoulet. Bake for another 20 minutes. Push down breadcrumbs so they are slightly moistened and bake another 20 minutes, until top crisps.

Serves 8

2 ounces prosciutto
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 slices whole grain sandwich bread
1 medium Anjou pear, halved, cored, and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 ounces creamy goat cheese
Cooking spray

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook prosciutto 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towel.
Spread mustard on one side of all 4 slices of bread. Spread goat cheese on 2 slices. Add a layer of pear and prosciutto on top of the goat cheese and top with the other slices of bread (mustard-side down). Press down lightly with your palm to seal sandwiches.

Lightly coat both sides of sandwiches with cooking spray.

Wipe out the skillet you used for the prosciutto and heat over medium heat. Toast sandwiches 4 to 5 minutes per side, pressing down with the spatula, until golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted.

Slice sandwiches in half and serve.

Serves 4

2 cups Celery Root, Potato and Apple Mash
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg
¼ cup scallions, chopped
1-½ ounce gruyere cheese, grated (or a hard, aged gouda)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Stir together potato mash, flour, egg, scallions and cheese until well mixed (should be the consistency of a stiff batter).

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Use a measuring cup sprayed with cooking spray to spoon a slightly heaping 1/4 cup potato mixture around the pan (allow space between them for air to circulate–you may have to cook in batches). Flatten gently with the back of the measuring cup.

Cook for 5-7 minutes, until bottom is crispy and browned when you peek, and then carefully flip each one. Continue to cook for 5-7 minutes on the second side. Remove from skillet and arrange on a platter or plates.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 cup onion, diced (roughly 1/3 of a large onion)
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups orange-fleshed sweet potato (also called garnet yams), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2 pounds, or roughly 2 large sweet potatoes)
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
sea salt
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat peanut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, sweet potatoes, coriander, cumin and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until onions are translucent.

Pour in 2 cups broth and peanut butter and stir until smooth. Add remaining broth, tomato paste and pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until sweet potatoes are soft, but not mushy. Season with additional salt (amount will depend on how salty your peanut butter is … you should add enough so that the flavors “pop,” but it doesn’t taste overtly salty).

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serves 6

1–½ pounds Italian chicken sausage links, (fully-cooked, like al fresco brand) cut into 36, 3/4-inch slices
1 pound red table grapes, (approx 72)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
Equipment: 12 long metal skewers (if you use bamboo skewers, soak in cold water for 30 minutes before threading)

Preheat grill to medium high.

Thread one piece of sausage onto a skewer, followed by 3 grapes. Repeat once more and end with another piece of sausage. Repeat with the rest of the skewers.

Brush (or spray) the skewers with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Grill 4-5 minutes per side, until sausage is heated through and grapes are just starting to collapse.

Serves 4

1 large melon (any variety as long as it’s super fresh and ripe–the one pictured here is Gaia), peeled and seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (should have 6-8 cups)
1 lemon, juiced
coarse sea salt (my choice is Maldon)
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Toss melon with lemon juice and spoon into bowls. Sprinkle sparingly with salt and cayenne.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
12 cups cleaned, zipped and chopped Swiss chard (about 3 bunches)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chard and toss to coat. Cook for 3 minutes, until chard is well wilted.

Pour in remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil. Grate the garlic onto the chard, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss several times to distribute the garlic and coat the leaves evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, until chard is wilted and garlic is fragrant.

Serves 4

4 ounces thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1/4 cup sherry
2 cups lentils (brown or green)
4 cups chicken stock
1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
20 juniper berries, crushed
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Finely chopped parsley, for garnish

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and has rendered its fat. Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings behind. Drain bacon on a paper towel.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion, celery and carrot to pot; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add sherry, scrapping bottom to loosen any browned bits. Cook 2 minutes or until sherry is nearly evaporated. Stir in lentils. Add stock, water, thyme and juniper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer 2 cups soup to a blender or food processor; puree until smooth (or use an immersion blender to puree part of the soup in the pan). Return to pot. Serve garnished with bacon and parsley.

Serves 6